Medic-alert style solution for M1 Gold?

[Del91574]

Yes, however there are other issues at hand when adding outboard equipment to an alarm that isn't intended for such purposes.......but I'm not diving into that discussion.

There's other functions going on when a AVS session are going on, and if the operator can't control the gain and level, adding the hardware is useless besides giving yourself the warm fuzzy feeling when listening in via your cell phone.

AVS isn't a static installation and monitoring situation, usually it works by having the session initiated by the CS operator after receiving the report from the digital communicator, by calling back the site, then listening in. The control generally mutes the audibles and keypads while the 2 way session is ongoing. Typically the operator will speak to the site via the onsite speakers and operate via a PTT sort of interface. If no response is gotten or verified, most trained operators will continue to listen in for a short period, adjusting gain or levels while listening in. A lot depends on the hardware and how well (or not) the CS operator was trained,.

I've got some pretty interesting audio files of actual alarm events captured on AVS and you can clearly hear when levels and gain are being adjusted....and I'm talking installations with ample coverage with mics and speakers.

 

[apostolakisl]

The point of putting lots of mics is that you wouldn't need to adjust volume since you would locate them such that no matter where you were in the house at least one mic would be in range to pick up speech.

Another idea would be to cover the house with IP cameras with audio. You can still do a Elk keyfob whose sole purpose would be to send the call signal but then you would switch to the IP cameras to do the actual monitoring. You can still use Elk to send your speech into the house and have it blast out over the Elk speakers since I am not aware of any IP cameras that do that. Of course this has the added advantage of seeing what is going on if the person loses consciousness or is otherwise incapable of speaking. It also has the advantage that IP cameras are wireless so installation is a snap.

 

[tmbrown97]

This all comes down to who is monitoring the premises. If it's a central station, they'd want to be able to use the listen-in feature as that's what they'd be trained for; not looking around the house with cameras. That said, with up to 12 microphones spread across 3 zones combined with the ability to remotely control volume and gain, I'm not sure how this wouldn't work as designed. Worst case, the person calls for help and you can't hear them tell you what's wrong, you dispatch someone.

If it's a person that'll be monitoring, then the cameras are a good idea too... in fact, if this were me monitoring parents, I'd probably consider both options... when the medical alert is triggered on the Elk, I'd have it shoot me a message and also have part of the protocol with the CS to try to reach me too (if unable, dispatch fire dept)... then hopefully by the time they call, I'd already have the cameras pulled up and could see what's happening inside. Then again, many elderly people would have a problem with a camera on them at all times too - they're not the most technologically savvy set.

 

[Del91574]

Lou,

Most "pro" grade cameras will not have audio built in....part of a huge lawsuit that went through the industry a few years back. A bunch of the sellers/manufacturers that are located in the Gulf coast and larger states in the union were greatly affected (huge settlement against them also).

If anyone but yourself is going to be monitoring the cameras, audio and microphones start to come into the wire tapping laws, so it's a very slippery slope, no matter how well intentioned the install was meant to be. 2 way audio and a lot of pro video verification products address the issues, as the video and audio are only enabled if the alarm is going off, they can't be viewed or listened to any other time by design of the hardware and installation.

 

[apostolakisl]

Lou,

Most "pro" grade cameras will not have audio built in....part of a huge lawsuit that went through the industry a few years back. A bunch of the sellers/manufacturers that are located in the Gulf coast and larger states in the union were greatly affected (huge settlement against them also).

If anyone but yourself is going to be monitoring the cameras, audio and microphones start to come into the wire tapping laws, so it's a very slippery slope, no matter how well intentioned the install was meant to be. 2 way audio and a lot of pro video verification products address the issues, as the video and audio are only enabled if the alarm is going off, they can't be viewed or listened to any other time by design of the hardware and installation.

You are talking about a professional installer and some professional service monitoring. It's creepy and perhaps illegal in that case and your point is well taken. But I am talking about a parent/child relationship here, not a commercial endeavor.

 

[Del91574]

True, however it still can come into question, especially in the case if something were to happen, no matter how well intended or what the relationship is. It's not a point I'd choose to see how grey the laws or how they're interpreted, especially when there's more than a single party involved, child/parent/whatever relationship aside.

If they're installed in a location that a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, even if they're "aware" of them existing....